Linn-Benton Community College
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LINN-BENTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOLUME 46 • EDITION 13 JANUARY 7, 2015 CAMPUS NEWS COMMUTER.LINNBENTON.EDU PAGE 2 ANATOMY OF AN ADJUNCT STORY BY ChRIsTOphER TROTChIE INSTRUCTOR Part-Time Faculty Mary Borman along with Lucette Wood, Rosalie Creating a new forum for adjunct instructors to leaving. The one thing that is pretty consistent is the Bienek and a host of other part-time instructors, have collectively solve issues such as underrepresentation, feeling that there is too much of a discrepancy between created the Part-Time Faculty (PTFA) Association. fair treatment, and job security, this newest majority full-time and part-time pay for the same work,” said The PTFA will attempt to establish itself as a collective of the academic laborers are seeking solutions to their Borman. bargaining unit for the 170 would-be affected LBCC difficult situation. Currently adjunct instructors comprise the majority instructors in the coming weeks. “Being an adjunct instructor means you never know of instructional staff not only at LBCC, but in the entire “We are holding a drive to collect signatures the what you will be teaching, the college has no commitment country. At LBCC they number about 2.2 adjuncts to second week of the term,” said Bienek... “If we can to you as an employee (considers you a contract worker one full-time contracted employee. collect signatures from the majority of Adjunct faculty and will cancel your classes at the last minute with no “In the Biology Department we have four full-time [That teach three or more credits], we will be recognized remuneration for the loss of employment), you make faculty and 14 part time faculty,” said Bienek. “I feel as a bargaining unit! There will be a collection box for half the money for the same work and credentials as that LBCC takes advantage of part-time employees.” signatures in the Learning Center and the signatures full-time faculty and without the benefits, you are Bienek, while working the last two and a half years, can also be mailed [interoffice mail] to Mary Borman.” excluded from essential college governance discussions, has witnessed two different full-time faculty members According to the The National Education Association and you have no representation or recourse in the case retire with the school choosing to replace only one of 2014 Almanac of Higher Education, “Two-thirds of of an employment related dispute,” said Wood. “We are their positions with a full-time instructor. the nation’s faculty members teach in non-tenure track the lifeblood that affords this college to operate. We “I personally feel that the business model of using positions, and most non-tenure track faculty members are passionate about the essential work of teaching full-time faculty to oversee instruction and hiring part- teach part-time.” and serving our students. We certainly wouldn’t be time faculty as non-contracted instructors on an as- Such statistics represent a difficult situation felt by here if we weren’t,” needed-basis does not lead to stability for the college,” many of the instructors on campus. Because adjunct instructors are not full-time said Borman. “In recent years a lot of the joy has gone out of employees, they do not have the same protections as The dynamics of this situation are both complex and teaching as more things are asked of us, more things are other instructors at LBCC. Adjunct instructors can have widespread effects on the daily functionality of expected of us without additional compensation, and be terminated without reason, are limited to teaching this school. As the PTFA plans to move forward with we are feeling less and less appreciated,” said Borman. five sections a year, and don’t receive health benefits. their plan to create a collective bargaining unit, LBCC For the last 20 years Borman taught as a part-time In some cases adjunct instructors work in two different will wait and see what changes are, or are not in the math instructor at LBCC. During that time she’s departments yet maintain a part-time status. wind. enjoyed her experience but doesn’t want to be full-time. “Some [adjunct instructors] are putting in extra time “I never wanted to be employed full-time by LBCC creating programs hoping to be considered for a full-time because the part time gig fits my lifestyle very well,” position. And some feel they have been so disrespected FOLLOW CHRISTOPHER said Borman. that they have left LB or are seriously considering @Christopher999 COVER CREDIT TIMELINE CREDIT CHRISTOPHER TROTCHIE, NICOLE ALLISON LAMPLUGH PETROCCIONE, CAT REGAN, ANDREW CHRISTOPHER TROTCHIE DONALDSON, RICHARD STEEVES, JARED NICOLE PETROCCIONE BERGER, MATHEW BROCK, COOPER PAWSON 2014 IN REVIEW: A YEar OF SELFIES, HashTAGS, GRUMPY CAT AND PharrELL’S HAT January 21 January 26 For the first time in Thirty-three couples have January 20 the history of digital a group wedding on stage Revenge porn currency, two Las at the 56th Annual Grammy becomes illegal in Vegas casinos begin Awards officiated by Queen Israel. to accept Bitcoin. Latifah with Madonna serving as maid-of-honor. January 1 Rosetta robotic space Recreational marijuana probe wakes up, stores open in Colorado. Tweets its approach January 22 to Comet 67P. The European Space Agency and other institutions detect the presence of January 11 water vapour on the only dwarf planet First black hole recorded on film. in the inner Solar System, Ceres. X-ray astronomers find evidence of a black hole at the center of a New data published independently by dwarf galaxy gobbling up a star. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that the global warming trend is continuing. January 29 Edward Snowden is nominated for the January 17 Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama announces reform January 29 January 16 to NSA after Edward Scientists find a way For the first time ever, Snowden leaked to convert normal cells a trial based on alleged information about into stem cells, which defamation via Twitter a government can be used for any part begins in the U.S. eavesdropping scandal. of the body. [email protected] CAMPUS NEWS PAGE 3 PROTESTING FOR PEacE Protests are not peaceful. In fact, but the air surrounding the COLUMN BY the concept is aggressive. conversation was one of ChRIsTOphER Disrupting the daily-grind is intellectual growth. TROTChIE how protests snap people out of a Conversations are springing numbness to societal issues. After up online. Local papers have all, the events in Ferguson and New York don’t affect online comment sections people here in the Willamette Valley, or do they? exploding with banter from On Dec. 6 over 200 people took to the streets of every angle as Linn and Corvallis to protest. Startled motorists came to a halt on Benton County put their many downtown streets as protesters weaved through opinion on display. vehicles, making it impossible for people to get home, “We are sorry that to work, or to the store. being in the street was an Some motorists laid on their horn in support while inconvenience, but this others did so out of frustration. In one case a disgruntled is an emergency,” said driver exited his SUV yelling at the protesters in an Stephanie Parreira, one of the attempt to get them out of the way. Corvallis protest organizers. Watching the news from the safety of a living room or “People are dying. And from behind a glowing computer screen creates distance until something is done they PHOTO: ChRIsTOPHER TROTChIE that obscures the intricacy of issues. The cocoon that are going to keep dying.” forms around us from that distance anesthetizes our She continued, “People diminish this type of protest are probably not very emotional response to terrible events happening too far have protested in Ferguson, Oakland and New York, knowledgeable about its effectiveness, and have probably away for people to feel the effects directly. but it has not been enough to change the system. We not participated in any type of activism themselves,” Across the country, protests are taking place because don’t know what it is going to take, but we can’t keep said Bolger. displeased Americans are fed up with political leaders doing business as usual and expect these problems Many protesters also used the opportunity to and the handling of hot-topic issues such as police to solve themselves.” confront feelings that racism is alive and influencing brutality and racism. Some of the protests, similar to On Facebook, the same group responsible for the the treatment of people of color across the country, but the one in Corvallis on Dec. 6, are “peaceful.” Other organization of the Corvallis demonstration has mostly in poor black and Latino communities. protests in recent history have digressed into rioting, continued to debate tactics used. Some agreed that “It is incumbent upon citizens in a democracy to voice looting, and the loss of life. halting traffic was crossing the line, while others their concerns, spread awareness, and seek redress on a Even small towns such as Corvallis are experiencing vehemently supported the action. policy issue, particularity when the mainstream political blocked streets and the closing of bridges during the The fact is that people who don’t normally weigh machinery ignores you, taking to the streets to protest latest rash of civil-disobedience sweeping the nation. in on controversial debate, had there not been a facilitates this citizen’s role,” said Eric Coker. Over 400 comments were posted on an OSU protest, wouldn’t have engaged in conversations Coker protested in Corvallis on Dec. 6 because Facebook thread titled, “Things overheard at OSU.” It that create awareness among multiple peer groups.